Lhullier Alfredo C, Moreira Fernanda P, da Silva Ricardo A, Marques Melina B, Bittencourt Guilherme, Pinheiro Ricardo T, Souza Luciano D M, Portela Luis Valmor, Lara Diogo R, Jansen Karen, Wiener Carolina D, Oses Jean Pierre
Escola de Psicologia, Centro de Ciências da Vida e da Saúde, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2015 Jan;39(1):30-3. doi: 10.1111/acer.12592.
The diagnosis of alcohol use disorder is based on clinical signs and on the measurement of biological markers. However, these markers are neither sufficiently sensitive, nor specific enough, for determining the effects of alcohol abuse on the central nervous system. Serum neurotrophins are important regulators of neural survival, development, function, and plasticity and have been found to be reduced in alcohol use disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in serum neurotrophin levels (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], glial-derived neurotrophic factor [GDNF], and nerve growth factor [NGF]) in alcohol use disorder in a young population, and thus possibly representing the early stages of the illness.
This is a cross-sectional study, nested in a population-based study of people aged 18 to 35, involving 795 participants. The participants responded to the CAGE questionnaire, and a CAGE score of ≥2 was considered to be a positive screen for the abuse/dependence or moderate to severe alcohol use disorder. Serum BDNF, GDNF, and NGF levels were measured by ELISA.
In the CAGE ≥ 2 group, GDNF (p ≤ 0.001) and NGF (p ≤ 0.001) serum levels were significantly increased, and the BDNF elevation was near a statistical significance (p = 0.068) when compared to the CAGE < 2 group. A significantly positive correlation was observed only in the CAGE ≥ 2 group for BDNF/GDNF (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and GDNF/NGF (r = 0.84, p < 0.001) levels. The correlation between the NGF and BDNF levels was significantly positive in both groups (r = 0.28, p < 0.001 for the CAGE < 2 group, and r = 0.30, p = 0.008 for the CAGE ≥ 2 group).
These results suggest that elevated neurotrophins are candidate markers for the early stages of alcohol misuse.
酒精使用障碍的诊断基于临床症状和生物标志物的检测。然而，这些标志物对于确定酒精滥用对中枢神经系统的影响而言，既不够敏感，特异性也不足。血清神经营养因子是神经存活、发育、功能和可塑性的重要调节因子，且已发现在酒精使用障碍中其水平会降低。本研究的目的是调查年轻人群酒精使用障碍患者血清神经营养因子水平（脑源性神经营养因子[BDNF]、胶质细胞源性神经营养因子[GDNF]和神经生长因子[NGF]）的变化，这些变化可能代表了该疾病的早期阶段。
这是一项横断面研究，嵌套于一项针对18至35岁人群的基于人群的研究中，共纳入795名参与者。参与者回答了CAGE问卷，CAGE评分≥2被视为对滥用/依赖或中度至重度酒精使用障碍的阳性筛查结果。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）检测血清BDNF、GDNF和NGF水平。
与CAGE＜2组相比，在CAGE≥2组中，GDNF（p≤0.001）和NGF（p≤0.001）的血清水平显著升高，BDNF升高接近统计学意义（p = 0.068）。仅在CAGE≥2组中观察到BDNF/GDNF（r = 0.37，p＜0.001）和GDNF/NGF（r = 0.84，p＜0.001）水平存在显著正相关。两组中NGF和BDNF水平之间均存在显著正相关（CAGE＜2组中r = 0.28，p＜0.001；CAGE≥2组中r = 0.30，p = 0.008）。
这些结果表明，神经营养因子升高是酒精滥用早期阶段的候选标志物。
